Imbabazi translates in Kinyarwanda to "a place where you will find all the love a mother would give." This is the name of the orphanage Rosamond Carr built.Rosamond had moved to northwestern Rwanda in 1955 to follow her adventurer husband. At that time Rwanda was known as the Belgian Congo. Together, they bought a flower plantation, but after 14 years of marriage, they divorced in part because her husband did not want to have children. Rosamond continued to live there and recounts her life in Rwanda in the book Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda.
When the genocide began in 1994, Rosamond left and traveled to the states to visit friends. She remained glued to the television, watching as the country broke down and neighbors killed neighbors. She heard about how a refugee camp had been set up not very far from her plantation, and unfortunately there was a cholera epidemic leaving thousands of children as orphans. It was at that moment that Rosamond decided to return to Rwanda. She had heard her car had been stolen and her home had been emptied by looters. But, Rosamond was determined to help the orphans and decided she would walk over to the refugee camp and walk as many babies back as she could carry.
At that time she was 81.
Rosamond did follow her heart and did set up an orphanage. She named it Imbabazi Orphanage and vowed it would be "a place where you will find all the love a mother would give". She continued running the orphanage and worked to find medicine, money, clothes, bandages, and all of the things necessary to help children grow to become the hope of Rwanda. She did not give up. Even up to her death this past fall at the age of 94, Rosamond continued to work tirelessly for her kids.
There is a group that is working to keep the orphanage running. They are not sure how long it will remain open, but they are doing all they can to keep it going for the kids that remain there. For 300-400 children, it has been life saving. It has also been a way children can learn skills and become independent. There was also a photography project similar to the one highlighted in the movie Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids. You can see a few of the images from the Imbabazi photography project in this short gallery. The show is on tour and is currently in Houston at the Holocaust Museum.
Take time to look at the great images. You can see some images from Frederic who somehow was able to take pictures without any hands. They were cut off by fellow Hutus when he refused to participate in the genocide and kill Tutsis. You can also buy pictures directly from the Rwanda Project. All proceeds go to support future photography projects and education for those children who have taken the photos.
It makes me wonder...when I am 81, will I have the passion and the focus to change the world? What about now? How can I step up and reach out and create that ripple that makes a difference?
Link to a great peek of a new documentary about Carr.
(photo found at this location: http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/world/0701/gallery.rwanda.project/gal.11.rwanda.jpg )
